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Rinnarit Republic
The Rinnarit Republic was a dictatorship that existed during the 43rd to 46th centuries. Flag The national flag of the Rinnarit Republic consists of a red banner with a white saltire and a nine-tipped flame within a black box. The cross over the red represents order prevailing over chaos, and the flame with the black box represents courage and sacrifice. Alternatively, the red background symbolises honour, the white saltire symbolises righteousness or Christianity, and the black box with the flame for the Rinnarit polytheist religion and other pagan religions (as the nine-tipped flamed with three gems is considered as a sacred symbol to the Rinnarits). History In the 42nd century, the Rinnarit people were exiles from the Bareki Kingdom to the southeast, in turn being descendants of a fantasy fanbase mostly of Southeast Asian origin. They settled along the mountain jungles of the east, and then they were enslaved by the United Mannofrin Corporation that defeated them in combat. They were purchased by Peter York and his fellow castaways from a colony orbiting the star of Vega, who chose to work with the Mannofrins to keep themselves fed, and his brother Ivan York mobilised them into an army to overthrow their oppressors. In their campaign of vengeance against the corporation and others like it, their forces and their liberated allies swept throughout the northern parts. By treaty, its existence was set between two volcanic eruptions on its sacred mountain, Mount Naravoisa ("Catastrophe"), and its duration was several centuries long. In its early years it struggled to contain the growing influence of the elites that aided the York rulers by seeking to be as peaceable as its southern neighbour, Bigton. Ivan York considered sending the Rinnarits' troops to join the Farsiders' extermination of Earth when they besieged the Earth Union's broken defenses, but before the bulk of their forces were able to put thousands of Earthlings to the sword, his death stopped most of them from reaching Earth. Some Rinnarit troops who went to their chosen countries -- Akhand Bharat, Greece, Cambodia, Iraq, and the realms of Scandinavia -- rejected their President's orders and instead protected the locals from the hordes of the Earth Union and the Farsiders. However, it failed as clashes between extremists of Christian, Irikkaist, and atheist beliefs plunged some provinces into civil war, and York III waged war against Bigton and was defeated. Its latter years were spent on being a tributary of the Saidornerse Empire, a brief period of independence and counter-terrorist adventures, and fending off the oncoming Galaxial invasion. Several years after a solar eclipse and the night of Mount Naravoisa's second eruption and destruction by the Galaxials, the remaining Rinnarits fought against their mechanical invaders for several years. They bid the Yorks farewell as the latter returned to Norway to free their homeland from Galaxial rule, and the Rinnarits created a new republic of their own. Society While the Rinnarit Republic officially practices a Westernised Rinnarit culture, most citizens practice lifestyles similar to those of Western Europe. In some way, there are three dominant cultures in the Rinnarit Republic: Rinnarit, "Christian" (the Norwegian/Westernised/Hellenised culture associated with the state church), and Norse. Due to President Ivan York's regulations, the Rinnarit Republic was also influenced by Greek and Byzantine customs. In spite of this, in later times, younger citizens started adopting Italian mannerisms and learning Esperanto. Rinnarit Esperanto is somewhat different from Bigtonian Esperanto or Standard Galactic Esperanto, again characterised with heavy Greek and Vegaean influences. Rinnarits prefer writing in Cyrillic letters (like their allies in neighbouring star systems) or their own alphabet. Public holidays * Jan 1 - New Year's Day * Jan 2 - Star Festival (Rinnarit New Year) ** Rinnarits celebrate this festival with parades of star-tipped poles and hymns to the constellations. * Jan 6 - Vidukind Blot (in western provinces) ** This Norse festival honours Widukind, a hero from Saxony who resisted Charlemagne's massacres and persecution of his people. It is celebrated with musical plays that depict Widukind's victories and ascension, and the torment of Charlemagne and his general Gerold of Baar by a cheeked demoness in Hell. * Jan 9 - Raud Blot (in Norse provinces, later a nationwide holiday) ** This Norse festivals honours Raud the Strong, a hero who was killed for resisting Olaf Tryggvason's forcible conversions and threats. It culminates the Vidukind Blot celebrations with more stories of patriots and martyrs from pagan realms, as examples for Rinnarits to follow to defend their nation from foreign attack. ** One local parade involves the leader wearing a costume of either Widukind, Raud, or a similar hero; followed by a retinue of warriors in armour; and then by a demonness whipping Charlemagne, Olaf Tryggvason, a Roman emperor, the leader of the Earth Union or the Four Powers, or any similar tyrant. * late Jan-early Feb - Thorrablot ** Norsefolk celebrate this festival with speeches and hymns in praise to Thor, and with special bread and meat dishes known as "thorramatur". * late Feb-early Mar - Disablot ** Norsefolk celebrate this festival by thanking the disir (mother ancestors) and seeking their help to bless the harvest. It is also an occasion for a market festival. * Mar 19 - Paivonkiari Day ** Rinnarits celebrate this festival by dancing at night, wearing green robes, or by stargazing. It is considered the holiest of all festivals in the Rinnarit religion, as it is dedicated to the plant god Paivonkiari. * Mar-Apr - Palm Sunday * Mar-Apr (Friday after Palm Sunday) - Good Friday * Mar-Apr (Sunday after Palm Sunday) - Easter Monday * April 15 - Austra, Sigrblot * May 1 - Tyranny Day ** This was the day that the oppressive Earth Union and its empire were founded. ** As a result of this date and May 29, May is regarded as an unlucky month in Rinnarit culture. * May 29 - Mourning Day (only in Christian areas) ** This was the day when the Ottomans conquered and plundered Constantinople, destroying the Byzantine Empire that the founders loved very much. * Jun 19 - Hjakjonvjonno Day ** Rinnarits celebrate this festival with bonfires and more stargazing. * Jun 23 - Summer Blot * Jul 23 - National Day * Aug 1 - Freyfaxi Blot * Sept 19 - Autumn Feast * Oct 30 - Vetrnætr Blot * Oct 31 - Reformation Day * late Nov, especially 30 Nov - Memorial Day ** This was the day when some minorities were ordered to apologise in televised speeches for the actions of their ancestors. * Dec 1 - Innovation Day ** A certain blot dedicated to Völundr has been set as a day to celebrate science and technology. * Dec 19 - Deikasasori Feast * Dec 21 - Yule Blot (Norse New Year) * Dec 24-25 - Christmas * Dec 31 - New Year's Eve Religion Officially, the Rinnarit Republic is a Christian state, with "Lutheran Protestant Christianity" as the national religion. However, due to President Ivan York's hatred of anything "Roman", it adopted Greek Orthodox mannerisms. That same hatred also led to the country becoming a dictatorship during its early years. To win the support of nearby societies in their revolts against the Mannofrin Corporation, the Rinnarit government listed Buddhism, Hinduism, Asatru (Norse religion), atheism, Araxarism (worship of a phoenix god), and several other pagan religions as tolerated religions. Atheists are allowed to refuse to join any belief, so long as they are not too "open" about their beliefs or they do not intentionally insult others' beliefs (which Rinnarits consider to be an "American" attitude). Irikkavanai The native Rinnarit religion, Irikkavannai ("way of the gods"), is a polytheistic religion that also enjoys the support of the government. Believers of the Irikkavannai are known as "Irikkaists", after the word "irikka", a term for any of their gods. The most popular of those gods is Paivonkjari, or Pajavonkjaro, the green god of spring. Its symbol is a nine-pointed flame with three vertical jewels, representing the sanctity of fire. Burning any traffic light is considered a blasphemous offense against the Rinnarit religion. Cannibalism is also viewed as a strong offense against the Rinnarit gods, to the extent that not only suspected cannibals are put to death, but Rinnarits also avoid eating anything with a face on it or using food to describe people. Pink is viewed as an inauspicious colour in Rinnarit society, as it is associated with chaos and the demonic witch Jagona. As a result, mutants with pink hair were cloistered in temples and churches, and were feared as freaks and cannibals. On the other end, the colour green is a sacred colour to the Rinnarits, as it represents plants and life. Nineteen is an auspicious number in Rinnarit culture and religion, as it represents the number of the higher gods, and therefore invokes their powers. Early Rinnarit persecutions Its first president likewise prohibited certain religions and denominations from his country: Evangelical Christianity (for being representative of America, a nation that represented the excesses of the hated 21st century); Judaism (over alleged conspiracies); Islam (he feared it as a "violent religion"); the Roman religion (for persecuting Christians and feeding people to animals for sport, even though there were very few worshippers of Jupiter and the Caesars back then) and Roman Catholicism (because his childhood abuser was a Catholic, leading to his hatred of anything Roman). The resulting expulsions of these people led to protests in Borgossia and Talbotheim: although they were satisfied when the Rinnarit government exempted local followers from expulsion, they were required to watch a film about Earth's history, and then apologise in televised speeches on the last day of November. Anything to do with "Roman" culture -- from Italy to glorifying the Roman Empire and the Crusaders -- was illegal under early Rinnarit law. Exceptions included the Latin alphabet, Roman inventions that were too useful to be abandoned, and the galactic lingua franca of Esperanto. Likewise, anything considered "Turkish" was banned under early Rinnarit laws, as they were blamed for the destruction of the Byzantine Empire; and Vietnam and Thailand were also reviled for weakening the Khmer Empire. Both the Byzantines and the Khmers (when it was actually Thai art) were honoured as influences for the Rinnarits' culture. In those days, only the Rinnarit state church -- and any local churches that happened to fall under conquered Rinnarit territory -- were legal. However, churches that were accused of "Roman" (Catholic or Italian) or "vangelik" (i.e. Americanised) practices were attacked. Bonfires of historical and mythological Earth figures were held on certain times of the year, especially on September 4, (the day the Roman Empire fell, which became the Rinnarit equivalent for Halloween) the Night of the Tyrants. Their targeted characters included American presidents, dictators such as Stalin and Hitler, the Caesars, popes, the conquerors and destroyers of India, crusaders, Charlemagne, King Olaf Tryggvason, and the Roman gods Jupiter and Juno; any of them were either "slain" in battles against heroic characters, or tormented by characters representing demons and monsters. Their effigies were set alight and stoned. Similar festivals also were held on September 9 (Olaf Tryggvason's death day), July 4, and the founding date of the Earth Union, where demons lash people who acted as the tyrants. By contrast, the date of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_of_Constantinople fall of the other Roman Empire] -- the beloved Byzantines on May 29 -- is a day of mourning and public anger against the country of Turkey, but it is not observed by the Norse citizens as they regard the Byzantines as another series of tyrants. Fuelled by their indoctrinated hatred of Earth, its history, and the United States, many Rinnarits (even some who are Christians) prefer supporting anyone whom they considered to be "pagan" in spite of their country's official Christian faith, as some of them sought vengeance against Christianity for its persecutions in Earth's history. That led to tensions between Irikkaists, other pagans, and Christians. They culminated with a very frustrated man of American descent burning a temple and beating up worshippers, because his neighbours threatened to crucify him and his family for being Americans. This further led to sectarian riots, to pogroms against suspected Americans, and the western provinces degenerating into a collection of fanatical fiefs that raided nearby settlements in the Rinnarit Republic and its neighbours. When Ivan York died of the heart attack, many of these persecutions were put to a halt, and the prohibited religions were legalised within a few years. Even then, the Rinnarit Republic still refused to open diplomatic relations with America, Italy, Turkey, Thailand, and Vietnam over their historical deeds until a few decades later. Trivia * This country was created by the author at roughly 2007-2012. It was originally intended to be a place of adventure, with the Christian parts added as the author back then was more religious. ** The author originally intended for the Rinnarit flag to be pink, as it represented distinction and bringing order to chaos. It was changed to crimson. ** The more recent additions of a pseudo-Christian/pagan dictatorship were fuelled by his anger towards various news articles, especially extremists' terrorist attacks and Internet bigotry. * Burning a traffic light is considered blasphemy there, as it resembles a mockery of the Nine-Tipped Fire. * In the early years of the Rinnarit Republic until the defeat of York III, anyone who seeks to start a fanbase must get a license from the government, as fanbases in general were condemned for being too divisive and fanatical. They had to pay a fee in order to avoid arrest. * President Ivan York chose the words "炎國" (yán guó, "burning country") as the official Chinese name for the Rinnarit Republic. Category:Rinnarverse locations Category:Rinnarverse Category:Republics Category:Dictatorships Category:Countries Category:Dystopias